Zermatt Invests CHF 43 Million in Lift Modernization and Snowmaking

Zermatt Bergbahnen is committing approximately CHF 43 million to infrastructure and destination development during the 2025/26 financial year, placing lift modernization and snow reliability at the center of its investment strategy.

The largest completed project is the new eight-seater Gifthittli chairlift, which replaced a six-seater installation that had operated for more than two decades. The new lift entered service in November 2025 and increases uphill capacity to approximately 3,400 passengers per hour.

The investment comes as Zermatt Bergbahnen reports another record financial year. Operating revenue reached CHF 103.4 million, up 3.3 percent year on year, while EBITDA rose to CHF 58.2 million. Passenger-transport revenue increased 3.4 percent to CHF 70.5 million, despite winter revenue finishing 1.2 percent below the previous season’s record.

The figures give the company room to continue investing while reducing net debt from CHF 134.2 million to CHF 117.9 million. Martin Hug, Zermatt Bergbahnen’s chief executive, described the results as a foundation for long-term investment rather than an end in themselves.

A new central link for the Matterhorn Ski Paradise

The Gifthittli chairlift occupies a strategically important position in Zermatt’s network. It links the resort’s southern, central and northern ski areas and provides access to four different pistes.

The previous six-seater, installed in 2003, carried an average of approximately 1.2 million winter-sports visitors each season. Its replacement is one of the first eight-seater chairlifts in Switzerland and is the first Zermatt Bergbahnen installation to be renewed for a second time since the company was formed through a merger in 2002.

Manufactured by Leitner, the new lift has 75 eight-person chairs and operates at speeds of up to six metres per second. Protective blue bubbles, upholstered seats and an enlarged loading area are intended to improve comfort, particularly in poor weather and during busy periods.

The lift also incorporates automated operating systems, including Leitner’s LeitControl technology, while its direct-drive system is designed to improve operational efficiency. The boarding area has been reconfigured so passengers enter in the direction of travel, helping to smooth loading and improve visibility for staff.

The chairlift project alone represents an investment of CHF 25 million. Zermatt Bergbahnen also built new offices, sanitary facilities and a mountain-rescue base above the upper station garage. The company says the new rescue facility will improve the efficiency of operations in the Gornergrat area.

Environmental construction supervision was used during the project, and more than half of the existing pillar foundations could be reused because the new lift followed the previous line profile and structural conditions.

Snowmaking becomes a strategic priority

The remaining investment program includes further work on snowmaking infrastructure. Zermatt Bergbahnen aims to increase the capacity of its snowmaking system and its supporting water and supply infrastructure, with the long-term goal of covering the resort’s main pistes in approximately 72 hours when temperatures are suitable.

For Zermatt, the objective is less about creating snow regardless of conditions than about making the most of short cold-weather windows. Rapid coverage can help the resort prepare key routes before the main holiday periods, protect the opening of important connections and maintain piste quality when natural snowfall is limited.

The approach was tested during the 2025/26 winter season. Despite limited snowfall and difficult weather before Christmas, Zermatt said its snowmaking network and piste preparation enabled it to offer a strong winter-sports product at the start of the peak season. February was weaker because of heavy snowfall and challenging weather, but sunny spring conditions supported a strong end to the season.

The investment reflects a wider challenge for alpine destinations. Resorts are being asked to provide reliable access to ski terrain while facing increasingly variable weather, high operating costs and pressure to limit the environmental impact of artificial snow production. Zermatt’s high-altitude terrain offers an advantage, but the resort’s business model depends on maintaining reliable links between different sectors and keeping its lower and central pistes operational.

Matterhorn Alpine Crossing strengthens its international role

Zermatt’s investment program extends beyond skiing infrastructure. The company is also developing the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing, the cross-border cable-car connection between Zermatt and Cervinia in Italy.

Since November 2025, the service has included luggage transport. During the 2025/26 financial year, the crossing attracted travelers from 33 markets, with visitors from the United States, Switzerland and Japan among the largest groups. Approximately 70 percent of users combined the crossing with at least one overnight stay in the region before continuing their journey.

The two three-cable aerial tramways serving Matterhorn Glacier Paradise transported 946,239 passengers during the year, an increase of 5.5 percent from the previous period. That growth underlines the importance of the crossing as more than a sightseeing attraction: it is becoming part of a broader international travel product linking the Swiss and Italian sides of the Matterhorn.

The luggage service is particularly significant because it makes the cross-border journey more practical for multi-day visitors. Rather than treating the crossing as a return excursion, Zermatt and Cervinia can market it as part of a continuous itinerary through the Alps.

Growth built around existing terrain

The latest investment program does not focus on expanding the ski area into new terrain. Instead, Zermatt is directing capital toward the capacity, reliability and comfort of infrastructure already at the heart of the destination.

That means replacing aging lifts, reducing bottlenecks, improving snowmaking response times and making the international connection more convenient. The strategy is commercially focused but also reflects the practical limits of developing new alpine terrain.

The new Gifthittli lift is a clear example. It does not create a new sector for skiers, but it improves one of the central links on which the existing network depends. Higher capacity and more efficient loading should help manage demand, while weather protection and upgraded rescue facilities address the everyday experience of both visitors and staff.

Zermatt Bergbahnen’s next challenge will be to demonstrate that these investments produce lasting improvements without eroding the qualities that make the destination distinctive. The company has reported strong demand, record revenue and a growing international offer. Its CHF 43 million program now puts that financial strength into the physical systems that keep the Matterhorn Ski Paradise moving.

With the Gifthittli chairlift already operating, expanded snowmaking planned and the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing attracting travelers from dozens of markets, Zermatt is betting that the future of the destination will depend not on a single headline attraction, but on the reliability and integration of the entire mountain network.